Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 8 June 2009

8 June 2009

Did you catch all that, then? Colourful larger-than-life football 'character' Barry Fry has been shit-stirring again in the latest chapter of his ongoing strategy to unsettle Town captain Ryan Bennett. This time the Peterborough United whatever-his-job-title-is-now has come in with a first official bid - albeit tokenistic or, as John Fenty (Con) described it, derisory - and a knowing-chuckle aside that, despite the Town chairman's earlier throwaway comment about Bennett not being for sale even for a million quid, "certain things have changed as they always do in football". Peterborough, of course, are little more than nouveau-riche social climbers, the used car dealer trying to gatecrash the croquet lawn; a sort of King$ton Communication$ FC-lite, without the windfall of a municipal stadium; indeed, like Plucky Scunthorpe United, they have only belonged to the Football League for a mere 40 or 50 years; now think of your own blustery put-down and then post it somewhere else on the worldwide web in a laughable e-squabble with another team's internet supporters. In reality, though, Fry's disrespectful conduct is probably just par for the course these days when a club with a few quid wants to sign a player from a club that happens to be in a lower division, but Town fans just aren't used to it because it's the first time in a decade that we've had a player who's good enough for clubs higher up the league to actually be interested in signing him.

Mike Newell's strategy of getting the squad players in first and then adding the first XI continues with news that the Town boss has been talking to Adrian Forbes about a permanent move to Blundell Park. The 30-year-old AM/F R has been released by Millwall and has already said he's well up for returning to North East Lincs next season after spending most of a recent loan with the Mariners on the bench or shouting at referees, and Mr Re-Newell is in today's Grimsby Telegraph saying "I've been in touch with Adrian so he knows we are interested. But you have to remember he is coming from a club at the top end of League One and that would more than likely mean a drop in wages. Whether that will be something he would go for I don't know but it's nice to hear he is keen to discuss a move here." Forbes seems dead keen, though, so the Diary feels certain they'll thrash something out - and we can only hope our Mike finds first-choice players with as much enthusiasm for the job, because God knows the last few managers have struggled with that.

That'll have to be all for today, as I have to log off for an unscheduled midday session with Baby Diary - who, at the age of six months, is already displaying a fondness for activities involving clapping, so I think I'll spend the next hour teaching him the words and actions for 'Mike Newell's Barmy Army'. Until tomorrow, comrades.